Rohan Bopanna and Matt Ebden
– Photo: Social Media
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Indian tennis star Rohan Bopanna at 43 became the oldest player to win the ATP Masters 1000. Bopanna and his 35-year-old Australian partner Matt Ebden won the doubles title at the BNP Paribas Open. Bopanna-Mat beat Vettel Koolhof of Netherlands and Neil Kupski of Britain 6-3, 2-6, 10-8 in the final.
Prior to Bopanna, Canada’s Daniel Nestor had won the 2015 Cincinnati Masters at the age of 42. Bopanna, playing in his 10th ATP Masters final, said it was very special. He said that I have been participating for many years and have been watching other players win. Many matches were very difficult. We had strong opponents in the final. Bopanna said that I had spoken to Nestor, the previous oldest champion, so I told him sorry, I am going to break your record.
This is Bopanna’s fifth Masters 1000 doubles title. He last won the title in Monte Carlo in 2017. It was Rohan and Ebten’s third final of the year. The Indo-Australian pair has so far won 24 trophies at the tour level.
Bopanna-Matt defeated defending champions John Isner and Jack Sock in the semi-finals. Earlier in the quarterfinals, Felix Agur Alisme and Denis Shapovolov were defeated. Bopanna, a former world number three, has improved four places to be ranked 11th in doubles with this win.
